foto: Stena Line press materials/Rail & Sail partnership of DB Cargo and Stena Line continues
Two European logistic giants have renewed their partnership agreement. Europe’s largest freight operating company and one of the largest ferry operators in the world have joined forces to move freight wagons across the sea to Scandinavia.
Between Scandinavia and Europe’s central and southern region travels up to 90,000 intermodal and conventional freight wagons each year! There exist two possible routes to get to Scandinavia, either through Denmark by using the infamous Great Belt or the Öresund Bridge or take the alternative sea route, the rail ferry transport direct service operated by the shipping company Stena Line. Rail operators in Scandinavia were experiencing a heavy impact in their endeavors, due to the ban of pocket wagons from the Great Belt Bridge (later re-introduced to the public). The market had to quickly adapt to the situation and develop new alternative routes. Stena line grasped the opportunity and offered transportation of whole trains across the water between the pot of Trelleborg (Sweden) and Rostock (Germany).
DB Cargo has begun cooperation with Stena line since 1994. Today the route moves up to 30 freight wagons in both directions every day. The ferry’s capacity can be adjusted in order to accommodate additional wagons in case of regular land rail route restrictions. Stena line is said to be the last rail ferry operator in Europe at the moment. By offering the options to transport the whole conventional or intermodal trains without loading and unloading cargo procedures. It is often argued that it constitutes a perfect solution for multimodal or intermodal transport.
Both companies have agreed on terms of the new 3-year contract, which shall ensure a continuance of rail and rail transport as well as promote new growth on the rails. Katrin Verner, freight commercial manager at Stena Line comments on the new agreement, “Our Rail & Sail combination has huge potential – our long-term focus on rail products is paying off, not only in terms of sustainability, which is more important than ever, but also financially. We believe in our services, and we’ll continue working hard to ensure their success. Both of the railway ferries running the Rostock-Trelleborg route are the largest of their kind. Boasting 1,000 m of track per ferry, they provide three departures a day, which means high frequency with maximum flexibility. Our international team of experts works around the clock for our customers, because nowadays, every load of cargo is time-sensitive. The ferries and our colleagues from the two pillars of a successful Rail & Sail product, and we’re very pleased to be able to offer it to satisfied customers like DB Cargo.”
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